"There can be no collective guilt": IOC President speaks out on Russians' admission to the 2024 Olympics

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), spoke out against the so-called collective responsibility of Russian athletes for the war against Ukraine. The official emphasized that those athletes who support the regime of dictator Vladimir Putin should be punished.

Bach said this in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde. The IOC head expressed hope that the Russian Olympic Committee would not boycott the 2024 Games in Paris, but would send its athletes admitted to the tournament to the French capital under a neutral flag.

"A boycott is never a good solution. We are uncompromising when it comes to punishing those who have violated the rules and the Olympic Charter. But I am equally uncompromising in protecting those who have not violated the charter. This is a commitment to human rights and to protecting the principle that there can be no collective guilt. Athletes cannot be held responsible for the actions of their government. If they support these actions, they are punished. But if they don't, they should have the same rights as everyone else," Bach said.

Earlier, the IOC president accused Russian dictator Vladimir Putin of legitimizing doping by Russian athletes after he appeared with disqualified figure skater Kamila Valiyeva at the opening of the Future Games.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the IOC also called on national committees and governments not to send their athletes to the Friendship Games, to which, by the way, Russia cynically invited Ukrainians. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) also called for a boycott of the competitions in Russia.

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